A Night in the Moonlight
by Hickumu
Summary: Sequel to "A Day in the Sun". Thor gets a glimpse of how deep Loki's pain runs, when a new threat presents itself after they return to Midgard for another day. His brother responds by trying to flee in fear for his life. But Thor is resolved not to surrender Loki, or the steps they've taken together, to anyone no matter their power. All he asks is that Loki stand with him this time
1. One Day More

_Sequels are hard, man. That's why I don't normally do them. Not only do you have to stay IC within the original source material, you have to try and trace IC behavior from the preceding stories. I'm usually not a sequel sort of person._

_But Loki fascinates me, as a character. Trying to understand him and what twisted up thought processes have fueled his actions thus far fascinates me. Thanks to some kind online associates of mine, I was finally able to hash out at least part of what I think his motivations and issues are, and trying to put them into words eventually spawned the framework of this fic._

_A character like Loki is impossibly frustrating to write. But writing him together with Thor has, so far, proved impossibly gratifying and strangely so very heartwarming. I really think they still ultimately care about each other. And I wound up trying to give all our favorite Asgardians a moment to shine here. I hope you enjoy my latest endeavor into their crazy, twisted, mixed up feelings for each other._

* * *

Odin had agreed to give Loki another day.

The unspoken arrangement seemed to be that these days would continue, one each year, as long as Loki behaved himself in his imprisonment and isolation. So far, he had. He spoke to no one, except to request more materials for the little forge he worked to pass the time and clear his head within his cell deep beneath the castle. No one spoke to him, even as these materials were delivered. Solitude and toil were his punishment for his crimes against Jotunheim and Midgard. For someone like Loki, they were effective punishments – he thrived on communicating with people, for good or ill, and the heat of a forge was a special trial to his frost giant blood.

However, especially in light of what had been done to his mind by the Tesseract, it was a punishment meant to maybe help heal Loki as well. If the cell was quiet and isolated, it was also peaceful and safe. It was kept lit, and reasonably comfortable, and Loki wasn't even forced to work the forge. Odin had just known that his adopted son would not be able to stand the boredom either way, and he had been right. Hard physical labor could do a lot to clear a clouded mind, especially when that labor was turned towards creating something.

Thor, for his part, had only seen him once since his brother had been locked away, and that had been the one day last year. A day that had ended in disaster, but ultimately left him hopeful for Loki's capacity to learn about and maybe come to understand the other races he had only tried to conquer before. Loki had seemed a little…better, on that day, a little more at peace and a little more willing to listen. Not great progress, but progress. A small step that Loki had let himself be led towards. Thor had left his brother's cell at the end of that day tentatively hopeful.

And when Thor had tactfully tried to remind his father that one lesson was not enough for any new knowledge to sink in, Odin had agreed. Thus, another day, one year later.

They spent it in a library. Thor had thought it was only fair. The one they found in New York was nothing on the castle library in Asgard, but Loki had read every book in that library a long time ago. Seeing it slowly sink into his brother's head, as they stood before the shelves, that here were a few hundred books that _he had not read_ had been a joy to see. All right, only a few hundred. But they only had a day.

Thor had to stay with him, of course. Sif, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg were covering all the exits, but even so, it would have been far too easy for Loki to disappear into the shelves and somehow slip through their collective grasp. His powers had also been sealed once more, as much as Odin was able to fetter a frost giant. Thor's had not, and any dissatisfaction Loki might have had with this imbalance were probably tempered by the memories of their last day, and what had happened when Thor had found himself in a dangerous situation without his powers.

Loki was still a prisoner, albeit one being rewarded for good behavior. So Thor dogged his steps as he wandered the shelves, although he tried to be as quiet and out of the way as possible. He also kept an eye on Loki for any sign that he might have suddenly found himself following an illusion. Loki, in turn, darted the occasional glare at him, and occasionally motioned irritably for Thor to get out of his light. But for someone who would previously retreat to the highest corners of the library just to get away from the faint sounds of people moving around in the distant shelves, he took the presence of other people and the persistent general background hum of humans going about their business well enough. Maybe he was just that starved for reading material. Or maybe, compared to the ringing noise of metal being bent to one's will in the heat of the forge, this didn't seem quite so intrusive anymore.

Loki had changed. Some of those changes would doubtless only present themselves over the next few decades, but some were a little more visible. He didn't talk so much, anymore – that was troubling, and strange, because Loki had always been comfortable with words, weaving them into nets and webs and patterns that made Thor's head spin just to contemplate. He also seemed less piercingly aware of the world than he once had, which had worried Thor until he realized what it meant. It meant that Loki was becoming able to turn inward on himself for peace, something that had escaped him even before that fateful visit to Jotunheim. If his thoughts were still the usual whirling vortex of knives, at least now there was a tiny eye in the middle of the storm.

Loki read voraciously, which had not changed and made Thor happy to see. There was something almost painfully familiar about the sight of the other man, sitting against a shelf or leaning against a wall with a book held up to his face or resting in his lap. Better still, some of the books he found seemed to genuinely get his attention. It drove the point home a little further to Loki, maybe, that he knew so very little about Midgard and what its brilliant human residents were capable of. Or at least, so Thor hoped, as Loki poured over a book about the inner workings of cars. And when he came to the plays, Loki actually paced the aisle, reading aloud quietly but not so quietly that Thor could not hear. " 'If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended. That you have but slumbered here…'" He said the words like they tasted good, even if there was a tone of disbelief in his voice as he read, and Thor smiled at the sight.

It was a good day – quiet, simple, peaceful, and maybe with a little more progress made. No one got shot, and Loki had needed no further persuading after the first couple of hours to sit down and read through a book written by humans. In the end, he was probably only still playing along for the chance to get out of his cell for a little while, and the prospect of actually having something to read was too tempting to pass up. But he was listening, even as he played along, and that counted for something.

"Shall we, then?" Loki said, offering Sif and the Warriors Three a wan smile as they met the two brothers at the door at the end of the day. It was the first he'd spoken in six hours, since the book of plays.

But he returned with them of his own free will, after a pat on the back from Volstagg reassured them all that he was the true Loki. And this time, by virtue of not being unconscious from blood loss, Thor walked Loki back to his cell himself.

He dithered for a long moment, as they descended the stairs down and down and down together, what to say, or whether to say anything at all. Finally: "Are you well?"

Loki paused, two steps lower, and looked back at Thor with his eyebrows raised. "…well enough," he finally said, a cautious, wary note in his voice that told Thor this wasn't an answer at all, and Loki was wondering what his angle was. All the same, he felt stupid for asking. Loki was a prisoner, and he knew it. Thor was the…_sentimental_ fool who kept having to remind himself. Odin and Frigga had done a lot to make sure Loki was well.

He tried again. "I only meant…you are managing well. We have all seen it. Some of the things brought up from the forge are remarkable. And you have not tried to escape, even when you could have. I am…proud, Loki, of how well you are shouldering this burden of yours'. We all are."

Something in Loki seemed to switch off, at those words. Where before he'd been looking up at Thor in almost affectionate puzzlement, now there was…nothing. Carefully, deliberately nothing. "Thank you," he said, and the words meant nothing, just something he could say so he'd have a reason to turn his back and carry on down the steps alone. Thor cursed himself, and hurried after.

"Loki, wait!" He caught hold of Loki's hand and turned the quiet man around to face him. Loki looked startled at the sudden contact, and at least that was _something_. Thor pressed on: "Is this really still so strange to you? That we still hold out hope for you, that we are happy to know that you might one day be able to truly return to us? Yes, you are a prisoner. You have done so much wrong, but you are still my brother, and…"

"No. I'm not."

Thor felt like all the air had just been sucked from his lungs. For a moment, he could only stare at Loki, stunned and, yes, hurt. The worst part was that Loki was looking back at him almost sadly. It made Thor realize that those three words hadn't actually been intended to hurt. Just…remind, perhaps. Even if what they were attempting to remind him of was an utter _lie_.

Loki took advantage of Thor's shock to pull away completely. "I am not your brother. I am not your family. You have been kind, fair jailors, and I almost look forward to whatever mad quest you plan to drag me along on the next time the Allfather decides to let me stretch my legs for a day. I might even be content to stay and serve Asgard, when my time below is done. But…that is all there is." He turned away, turned his back on Thor, and started down the steps. "That is all there ever was. We were both lied to, Thor, and I suggest you try and remember that."

Loki wasn't lying. Or at least…he didn't believe he was. Loki would look you in the eye and _smile_ when he lied to you. Even he didn't entirely believe what he was saying…but Thor saw that Loki was trying hard to convince himself. And he really did seem to think it a kindness to try and convince Thor of the same.

Thor thought just the opposite. "I was never lied to. You are my brother, Loki, my family, and an accident of birth will never change that."

His words reached Loki, which was the only thing that stopped Thor from breaking down then and there. The younger man paused one last time on the steps. And the persistent hints of lingering affection in his brother's voice as he replied, even as he didn't look back, made Thor hopeful despite himself.

"…you are a fool. Still, always, and forever."

Thor felt himself smile, very slightly. "And I look forward to the day when you can be by my side again, tempering my foolish ways. Until then, brother. I wish you well."

He waited where he was until he'd seen Loki descend to the bottom of the steps, open the door, and step inside. The sound of it closing echoed loudly in the deep, dark silence. Then, and only then, did Thor turn away and head up again.

He wanted to see his friends, and the night was still reasonably young. It had been a necessary and, it seemed, ultimately beneficial day. But he still found himself exhausted – Loki could sometimes have that effect on him, even at the best of times, and these were not the best of times. Thor found that he needed the company, and the cheer that he and his four friends could always seem to bring out in one another.

If nothing else, he pitied Loki his isolation. Thor knew that he would have already gone mad, if it were him locked away down there.

At least he knew what lesson to teach next year.


	2. Resolutions

Three days later, a visitor came to Asgard, requesting an audience with Odin Allfather.

Thor sat at his father's right hand, because the day was fast approaching when he would take the throne himself, and he was willing and eager to get what preparation he could before Odin stepped down for the last time. Frigga sat on Odin's other side. Sif and the Warriors Three were in the hall with some of the other guards, more out of curiosity than anything. It had been so long since Asgard had gotten any visitors of the sort who tended to announce themselves.

The doors to the hall opened, and the lone visitor stepped inside. He radiated such an aura of evil and cold that Thor felt his heart skip in his chest.

"Father…" he said, reaching for Odin's arm with one trembling hand even as his gaze remained fixed on the figure. He tried to keep his voice down and the movement subtle, but he was noticed, and the hooded stranger looked up at him and _grinned_.

All the same, their guest bowed low to the royal family, frustratingly precise in his courtesies. _"My thanks for granting me the honor of your attention."_

"You may speak your offer," said Odin calmly.

_"Then I will not waste any more of your time. I come to you on behalf of my master. Your other, outcast son called him 'master', as well, not so long ago, and he is most displeased with Silvertongue's failures in his service. But until very recently, he was unable to track down the wayward prince to inflict the punishments he so richly deserves."_

Thor felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as the Other looked to him. He knew what the stranger was going to say a scant second before the words, alight with glee, left him. _"My thanks, Odinson, for aiding us in our hunt."_

Odin rested a hand on Thor's shoulder to steady his shaking son. He was, hopefully, the only one near enough to catch the soft, whispered "no" that escaped Thor like a shuddering sigh.

"You wish Loki returned to your leader," Odin said, and the king's voice was still perfectly unreadable and level, his gaze never wavering from the Other. "Do I understand the matter correctly?"

_"He would be most grateful for the cooperation. And surely, the great Odin Allfather would welcome the chance to be rid of such a shame. One not even of his own blood."_

"You presume too much in my halls. Do not pretend to know my mind, ambassador."

Thor looked up at Odin, wide-eyed and almost breathless with hope. His father's voice had taken on a note of steel. Then he looked down at the Other, in time to see something ugly flicker in the stranger's gaze. _"My apologies, Allfather."_

_Is he really…?_

He was. It was only thanks to so much of his training as a prince that Thor didn't smile as Odin spoke. "I have heard your proposal, and I refuse it. You may return to your master and tell him that Loki is receiving punishment for his acts under your service, and for many crimes besides. Justice is being done."

The Other hissed audibly in displeasure. Just behind him and on the balcony above, Loki saw Sif readying her blade. _"Your sense of duty does you credit, Allfather. But my master is not in the habit of being denied. While he does not wish it to come to a battle, he will come to collect what is his. And he will not let anything stand in his way. Turn over the wretch now, and we might all be spared any further difficulties. What you call justice, my lord calls undeserved mercy. He will truly make your false son regret his failings in service."_

Maybe the ambassador was looking for an excuse to start a fight. Maybe he really had expected Odin to be swayed by that. Odin was swayed, and decided, but in completely the wrong direction. The old god surged to his feet, Gungir held tightly in one hand, his one remaining eye alight with anger.

"I took him in as my own son! This makes him as true as the child born of my blood that sits beside me! And I am not in the habit of surrendering my children to any passing would-be conqueror who thinks to demand them!" He pointed the tip of the great spear at the Other, and his hands were, there and then, as steady as any warrior's. "I have heard your proposal. I have refused it. Return to your master and tell him this. I will allow you to leave, but I will not allow you to remain here and give out insults and threats to my family."

The Other stumbled back under the force of Odin's wrath. He growled, baring his jagged teeth…but did no more. After several long seconds, during which time Thor's hand tightened around Mjolnir's handle in anticipation of an attack right along with his friends, the alien backed down, and bowed its head in defeat.

But Thor knew, just by the tone of the stranger's voice, that they weren't out of the woods yet. _"I will deliver your message. And soon enough, you shall know my master's reply. We will offer you three more days, Allfather, to reconsider. A fleeting time for Asgardians, perhaps, but my master has waited far too long as it stands. If at any time within those three days, the traitor is delivered to us…we might all still know peace."_

"We might, if your master turns aside in his foolish quest," said Odin. "Sif! Hogun! Fandral! Volstagg! Escort our guest to the Bifrost and see him safely on his way!"

A chorus of acknowledgement came from around the hall, as his friends hurriedly tried to pretend that they all hadn't just had their respective weapons trained on the ambassador, awaiting any further excuse to strike.

The alien had one last parting shot for them, as he was roughly hustled from the hall by the four warriors. _"Ask your sons! Ask them about the destruction the Chitauri wrought upon Midgard! And know that what Thor Odinson helped destroy there wasn't even one wing of my master's might!" _

Then Volstagg slammed the doors shut, and he was gone, but for the sounds of scuffling outside that spoke of Sif and the Warriors Three expressing their displeasure with the insults given to their king and prince. Then, and only then, did Odin lower Gungnir. But he did not sit – instead, he marched for the side doors out of the hall, towards their own wing of the palace. "Thor. Frigga. Come with me."

They hurried to follow. Thor, however, could only wait until they were well and truly alone in the halls before he threw his arms around his father in a tight hug. He was not a child anymore, and public displays of affection like this were unbecoming of a prince, he knew. And rationally, he knew that Odin would have never given Loki up. At the least, it would have shown them both cowards, and made Asgard weaker in the eyes of their enemies for it. But he hadn't expected that, he hadn't expected his father to give such a steadfast defense of Loki that even Thor had been left with nothing to add. And at least he'd waited until they were alone.

It was a mark of how dire things had become that Odin actually returned the embrace, briefly, before he stepped away and Thor obediently did the same. "Calm yourself, Thor. We have preparations to make."

"Of course, father."

"One of these preparations should be to tell Loki what has happened, should it not?" Frigga asked, speaking for the first time.

"No," said Odin, surprising them both. "There is no need."

For a moment, Thor could only sputter in surprise. "They are coming _for him!_ How could there be no need?"

"They will not have him."

"Certainly not, if he is allowed to fight in his own defense," said Frigga sharply. Thor found himself flinching back a pace – he so rarely heard that tone in his mother, but sometimes, times like this, she reminded him just why she had survived this long as queen.

Odin said nothing, but it seemed he didn't have to. Frigga's eyes widened in something like horror. "You do not trust him. You think he will go to this…_master_ of theirs', if the opportunity permits."

"I think no such thing. But war in Asgard will bring chaos, and Loki thrives on chaos. I do not think he will betray us…but I do not think he will remain, either. He is not a warrior, he is not brave, and he bears me no love for what I have inflicted upon him. If the opportunity arises…I do not think he will see cause enough to stay."

"You are wrong," said Thor, before he could stop himself. And yet, unbidden, Loki's words from just a few days ago came back to him: _"I am not your brother. I am not your family."_ Words he'd said like he believed, or wanted to.

"I hope that I am," said Odin quietly, not looking at either of them. "But all the same. We will defend him, as his family. In this, we are agreed…and there is no need to trouble him further."

Thor disagreed, and one quick glance at his mother told him that she did as well. But they both said nothing of this, only nodded in agreement for now.

It was a while before they could both get away. There were preparations to be made, after all, and they only had three days. But in the end, long after night had fallen, mother and son met at the top of that long, long flight of stairs that led down and down and down beneath the castle.

He reached out and squeezed her hand for a moment, just a moment, appreciating her presence and the childish but no less genuine reassurance that it gave. She smiled at him, the smile he had known since he was a boy, telling him that all would be well.

Together, they descended the stairs.

* * *

_I think Odin honestly tries his best to be a good father to both his sons. He just has that usual problem of struggling to have any way to relate to Loki or reach him, but I think it's been made pretty clear by canon now that Frigga was there to fill in some of the gaps for both of them. So, he's not perfect, he stumbles, he probably should have told Loki he was adopted sometime before the movie, and he has to balance his care for Loki with his obligations to the throne and to Asgard. But I can understand why he put off saying as long as he could and, ultimately, I think he honestly loves Loki and wants him safe and healthy._

_And even the Other isn't going to directly fuck with Odin. _


	3. Conditional

Two years was hardly any time at all to get good at blacksmithing. And yet, Loki had always been a quick learner.

Nothing he made was his own, of course. It would all go to the good of Asgard, and that was fine. At least he was doing something remotely useful. All the same, Loki felt a pang as the spearhead took shape under hammer and tongs. It was shaping up to be a fine weapon indeed.

Oh, Thor had coveted Mjolnir since they were children, but Loki had always admired Gungir, the great spear. He'd done a lot of his training with that in mind, and weapons with a bit of reach had always suited him, made it easier to control the flow of battle where he was so often otherwise physically outmatched. The brief moment where he'd actually wielded Gungnir himself had been a rush and a thrill unlike anything he had ever known since.

The metal shaft of the weapon itself was already completed, and cooling in the trough. Loki was glad to turn his attention to it, and away from thoughts of the past. It proved cool enough by now to remove. He tested it, then, swinging and arching the staff through the confines of his small cell, testing the balance.

It would suffice. Not the worst thing he'd ever made, actually one of the better. And it had been made by _him_, and so Loki felt the balance and the weight of it almost instinctively, compensated for it as he moved and jabbed, and lost himself for a moment longer in the old drills and exercises he hadn't bothered with for years.

A knock on the door got his attention. Knocks came frequently enough, and he had requested some more pig iron. Loki settled the staff against the wall and waited. Seconds passed, and nothing was slid through the slot in the door.

And then he knew why. A second later, the knock came again, and a voice spoke from the other side of the heavy wood: "Loki? Brother, are you awake?"

He hadn't even known it was night. Time had lost all meaning very quickly, down here. Loki rolled his eyes and sighed to hear Thor's voice. "I hope I am only dreaming," he called back. "The alternative is that you have come down here, doubtless against the Allfather's wishes, for no good purpose that I can possibly imagine."

Silence, except for…whispering? And then another voice spoke his name, and Loki felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Mother?" he asked, before he could stop himself, and he mentally kicked himself for the slipup.

"Yes, I am here," said Frigga's voice, unmistakable now. Loki felt dizzy – he hadn't seen Frigga since he was sentenced, and all possible explanations he could come up with for what might have happened to bring her here now were bad ones. A fear that she only reinforced when she next spoke: "Loki…something has happened." And Loki found that he suddenly had to sit down, and did, with his back to the door. Just the tone in her voice, hard and resolute and yet _concerned_, in a way he hadn't heard for so long, shook him to the core.

"What?" he asked, his voice hopelessly hollow, scarcely daring to contemplate.

"Someone came to see father today," said Thor. "A hooded…_creature_. He would only tell Heimdall that he was called 'The Other'."

Loki went cold. He froze where he sat, staring at nothing, as he felt horror and terror looming over him like a perilous wave, all the more terrifying for being so blessedly at bay for so long.

_No no no no no…_

"Loki?" Frigga asked, loudly, and Loki shook himself forcibly.

He tried as hard as he could to keep his voice level. He didn't manage it. "And…what did he want?" he asked.

Silence, stretching out for seconds or maybe minutes or maybe hours, he couldn't tell anymore, he'd stopped caring a long time ago, until he almost _screamed_ until Thor spoke and confirmed the very worst fears clutching at his heart. "He demanded that we surrender you to him, and his master."

"Let me out." The words were out and said almost before he properly realized he'd said them. There was no anger there, no demand. There was no room for anger or strength in him, now. "Let me out," he tried again, and there was a note of pleading in his voice that he did not bother to hide.

"It's all right, Loki," said Thor, sounding alarmed. "We would never hand you over to them."

Loki's fist lashed out, catching the door with a loud _thump_ that only succeeded in sending shockwaves of pain up his arm. It was a very thick, very strong, very enchanted door. _"Let me out,"_ he snarled, and even now, it was only panic giving this much strength to his voice.

Frigga, _Mother_, spoke his name, her tone quiet and soft and soothing but firm and grounding all the same, the sort of voice she'd always used to bring him back from a nightmare or a fit as a child. Shamefully, it worked still – Loki drew in a deep, shuddering breath, pressing his hands against his face, and trying to marshal his scattered, desperate thoughts. He could almost imagine the feel of her hands, steadying on his shoulders, or the look in her eyes. It was inexpressibly comforting, and he hated himself for remembering.

"If they come for you, we will free you," said Frigga quietly, in the tone of voice that suggested no force in all the worlds would dare deny her. "You will be allowed to fight in your own defense, beside us all. Until then…the Allfather thought it best that you remain here."

"Trapped," Loki added, petty and childish as it was.

"_Safe_," Frigga corrected him gently. Even so, there was a wavering in her voice that he did not miss. "We will know their answer to your father's refusal in three day's time. Work your forge until then, my son. We might have need of all the weapons we can gather, very soon."

"I know their answer," Loki insisted. "And so it baffles me that you speak of intending to fight."

"What do you expect us to do?" Thor demanded. "Just give you up?"

Loki said nothing. He knew that would be answer enough. After a second, the sudden intake of breath he heard from Thor told him that it was.

"Let him out," Thor growled.

"Thor…" Frigga said, trying to calm him.

"Let him out, mother! I have put up with so much, but this…_challenge_ to my honor will not stand! Not even from him! Let him out or let me in so I might face him properly. Loki, by all the gods, how _dare_ you insult me in such a way?! I do not know how these twisted ideas found their way back into your mind, but if I have to knock them out of you all over again…!"

Loki didn't even flinch at Thor's anger. For one thing, he'd survived physical fights with Thor too many times before. They'd roughhoused as children, they'd come to blows as adolescents, they'd sparred as men. He'd usually come out the loser. Even angered as he was, Thor wouldn't actually try that hard to hurt him now. For another, he was panicking too much about his fate to come to worry about what Thor might do in a fit of insulted honor. There was just no more room inside him for any more _fear_.

So Loki said nothing, as Frigga calmed Thor down. And then there was silence, once more, until Loki felt the door shift ever so slightly in a way that told him that Thor was leaning against it now, too.

"I swear to you now, brother," he heard the older Asgardian say. "If it should happen that all of Asgard falls and I am all that stands between you and the ones who mean to take you…I still will not falter. Even if you refuse to see that I am with you, that will not change."

_Why?!_ Loki wanted to yell back. It made no sense, and that was one thing that had always driven him mad about Odin, Frigga, and Thor most especially, all of them he had once called his family and who made pretenses at it still. And yet, gods, the tone of Thor's voice still made him feel briefly safe when nothing else could. He almost believed again.

But he wasn't theirs', and never had been. It made no sense for them to fight for him or try to defend him, especially against Thanos. They had no reason to protect him. And maybe they didn't understand the full extent of the danger they were in now, but they would, because Thanos would come for him. The Mad Titan was not indiscriminate in his attacks, but he was merciless, and so impossibly powerful. And Loki cursed himself for ever forgetting the danger he was in for failing him in his invasion of Earth.

This was a trick, a lie to keep him in one place, easily found when Thanos came for him. It had to be, nothing else made sense. A sweet, tempting lie, like so much of his life had been, but false all the same. And even if it wasn't, when they fully grasped what it was they faced, they would change their minds. They would come to their senses in the face of annihilation and realize that it wasn't worth it for a _Jotun_. They would give him up.

They would die otherwise. Love wasn't _enough_, in the face of that.

Voices murmuring, whispering, trying to speak softly enough that he wouldn't hear. Loki didn't care to listen. He said nothing more and, in the end, he heard footsteps receding up and away. Only when silence reigned once more did he let out the breath he'd been holding in a long, shuddering sigh.

Yes, he had to get away. He'd never understood why they insisted at continuing their pretenses. Convenience, maybe, to keep him and all he knew on their side. And Loki hated himself for falling for it. But sometimes, some lies were far too tempting, even if you knew them to be false. Sometimes, there was no real harm in playing along.

No longer. He had to get away. He would repay them for their kindnesses by running, rather than trying to offer them up to Thanos in penance. It probably wouldn't do any good anyway.

Bringing them all down to burn with him would be unnecessary and _pointless_.

Loki put his head in his hands and tried to _think_.

* * *

_I really do try and portray Thor as being smarter and more perceptive than most of the fandom gives him credit for. Thor is a goodhearted, straightforward kind of guy who wants to think well of people - that does not make him stupid. So I think he was understandable in losing his temper here. After all, Loki basically called him a faithless coward without having to say a word. Loki didn't see it that way, of course, but for all that they care about one another, I think there are some levels where they're just never going to meet in the middle._


	4. Your Truth is My Lie

In the end, Thor wasn't sure any of them were surprised when the report came the next night that Loki had escaped. It was only a mercy that he was with Odin, pouring over notes when it happened. The sentinels posted at Loki's cell door were Odin's creation and obeyed his commands. As such, the Allfather felt it when Loki slipped out without permission. And Thor knew, too, when Odin slammed his hands down on the tabletop. "That _damnable_ boy!" he roared.

Thor ran for the cell as Odin went to martial the guards, even though he knew it would be far too late. It was – the door was hanging open, the sentinel's eyes were dark, Loki's forge had been extinguished and a guard was laying on the floor, having been clubbed over the head. Thor took in the scene at a glance, swore, and ran back to martial his friends.

"I overheard the message the Allfather received from Heimdall," Sif said, as they gathered on one of the outside balconies "Loki has not passed him on the Bifrost."

"Loki does not _need_ the Bifrost," Thor sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "He might already be gone."

"He said that there are pathways," said Fandral thoughtfully. "He cannot travel freely, he has to seek out these hidden ways. Some must be scattered around the palace, that would explain so much."

"But they are just that – _hidden_," said Volstagg. "What good is that to us?!"

Something was nagging at Thor, something potentially important. "If he is not gone," he tried, hesitantly, sneaking up on the idea in case he lost it. "Then he is likely still in the palace, or on the grounds. Seeking out one of these hidden pathways, perhaps. But he has been imprisoned for a while, now." It had been one thing to navigate the library, a small and relatively enclosed space where he'd had Thor to guide him, and no pressing desire to be anywhere else. But the palace was vast, infinitely many times as big as Loki's cell, and he had been away for years, now.

Sif nodded, understanding dawning. "He will be off-balance, being outside. We might still have time."

"Of everyone here, we four might be the best prepared to see through any illusions Loki might conjure," said Hogun, nodding grimly. Thor, in turn, winced at how he was carefully excluded from this tally. He still remembered, well enough, Loki's voice asking curiously from the other side of a steel trap: _Are you ever _not_ going to fall for that?_ But he thought he'd remembered, now, what had nagged at him. _Off-balance_.

One of the few things Loki had said on their day a few days ago had been to comment on the architecture. Thor had thought nothing of it, at the time – he could share his brother's fascination, honestly, as the way Midgard seemed to be constructed on the whole couldn't have been more different than Asgard. Towering skyscrapers that left them both in shadow could share street corners with squat little shops or homes.

Loki had spent a lot of time on the walk over looking up at the skyscrapers.

"My friends," said Thor out loud. "We will scatter, and search. Loki cannot overpower any one of us – if you find him, hold him." He hesitated for a moment, but knew it had to be said, and so added: "Whatever it takes."

Grimly, they nodded.

"Sing out if you find him," Sif said. Thor turned to go, but her voice drew him back for a moment. "Thor…are you truly certain that Loki is only trying to run?"

Thor hesitated, his mind a whirl. _Are you ever not going to fall for that?_ And yet, after a long second they didn't have, he nodded.

"You didn't hear him before," he told his friends. "Loki was terrified. And when Loki is afraid, he runs."

And Loki was trying with all his might to shove them all away. He understood why a little better, now. Thor still didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being shoved.

This answer seemed to satisfy his friends. With nods and choruses of assent, they turned to go off in different directions. Thor, for his part, went _up_. The first chance he could, he got onto the roof, and he went to work climbing towers to higher and higher levels along the palace.

Loki was drawn to heights. The rush of towering over the world, the advantage of an unrestricted view, the distance and isolation from anyone who might be searching, had always been a lure to his quiet brother. And he hadn't hesitated to fall into the void beneath the Bifrost.

Disoriented at being outside alone, lost and panicking and trying to avoid the entire palace, Thor could think of one route Loki might definitely take to get away.

He could have been wrong, of course, which was why he'd sent the others to search other places.

He turned out to be right.

On one of the highest tiers of rooftops of the palace, he found Loki, standing at the edge and looking down with a disturbingly thoughtful expression on his face. He also found Loki armed, when the trickster raised the spear he'd been carrying to point at Thor as soon as Thor moved too close. "Stay back," Loki ordered quietly.

Thor did, for the moment, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace even though Mjolnir hung as ever on his belt. Loki, in turn, lifted his head to meet Thor's gaze. Thor found himself deeply disquieted by what he saw in the other man's green eyes, a storm of emotions bubbling just beneath the surface even as Loki was, to all outward appearances, still quite calm.

And then he smiled. It was a smile of broken, jagged edges that told Thor so very much, even if he knew his brother intended just the opposite. "Well. You caught on to my plan sooner than I anticipated. Well done – you are improving."

"And what plan is this?" Thor asked cautiously. He tried to ease a little nearer. If Loki noticed, he gave no sign. His hands were shaking around the shaft of the spear. "To run away once more?"

"What makes you think I'm running away? I might be running towards. I might be running to meet Thanos even now, to tell him all I know and help him rip this place apart."

"You might," Thor agreed. His friends, and maybe even his father, suspected Loki of this, and Thor couldn't blame them for it. It seemed by his words that Loki wanted them to suspect him of betrayal once more.

But as for Thor…he knew he was irrational and emotional when it came to Loki, and that Loki had happily used that against him more than once. He also knew the man, however, better than Loki seemed to think. He knew that, beneath all of Loki's mockery and torment, the goal was still always to keep Thor there. Even when they had been enemies, a part of him had orchestrated matters so that Thor would have no choice but to find him, with a little brother's unerring instinct for getting under the older's skin. He might deny it, he might fight against it…but Loki cared, and he wanted his family around him even as he shoved them all aside. In a lot of ways, hate was just love twisted upside-down.

Besides. Loki would look you in the eyes and smile when he was lying, and right now, he was _lying_. If pride or fear or what-have-you kept him from admitting as much, Thor would do so for him.

"But you're not," he finished. The warrior smiled back, and the sorcerer broke their locked gazes. Thor took the opportunity to ease a little nearer, inside the spear's reach. By the time Loki recovered his wits enough to try and step back, or block Thor aside, Thor had taken hold of him, one hand on his shoulder, one on the back of his neck, trying to keep him here, trying to get him to _listen_. "Brother, I told you before…"

The sudden drop in temperature, the rippling _shifting_ in his younger brother's shape, was Thor's only warning to step back and let go before Loki _changed_. He did, just in time, before Loki became cold enough to burn. Loki took advantage of the chance to move back, move away, along the edge of the roof, his homemade weapon again at the ready, warning Thor off.

And Thor realized, with a lurch in his stomach, that he'd just found himself face to face with a frost giant. It shouldn't have shaken him so much. He'd known for a long time what this man really was – it had just never mattered as much to Thor as it seemed to matter to Loki. He had even seen Loki like this, once before, but he'd been dying of blood loss at the time and the sight had come to resemble nothing so much as a hazy dream later.

The sight before him now couldn't have been clearer, lit by the moonlight. And to see the familiar features of his younger brother twisting and changing into those of one of the monsters from his childhood nightmares shook something in Thor on a deep, instinctive level.

But the more he looked, the more he saw the hints of those old familiar features, blurred and marred by the blue skin and red eyes but not extinguished. This was still his brother, and an accident of birth would not change that.

_"Why?!"_ Loki snarled, and Thor saw it then, saw all the cracks running through his brother's hastily reconstructed mask. "Why do you insist…why do you _continue_…why do you bother with these lies?!" He gestured wildly at himself. "_Look at me!_ There could be no one who has less claim to kinship with you! You are either deluding yourself or attempting to delude me or both! _We are not family_, and you have no cause to die for me! I will not let you deceive me into thinking otherwise again! You will not defend me!"

There was something _anguished_ in Loki's voice, and Thor felt his heart break for the other. None of what he was saying was true, it couldn't have been more false…but that didn't change the fact that Loki believed it. He was always at his most desperate, his most defensive and angry, when someone succeeded in getting beneath the layers of lies. Loki defended himself with lies, deceptions, and illusions. Without them, he might as well have been a cornered rabbit.

Thor took a step forward. When the spear came darting at his shoulder, he easily dodged, swatting the weapon aside. Loki lost his grip, and it clattered as it fell to the ground. "Family is more than blood, Loki," Thor said gently.

"Is that something else you learned from humans? Family is _made _by blood. You would not be a prince, father's chosen heir, if you were not of his blood. Just as I never would have been."

"Then perhaps blood is the start. But it is not the finish." He took another step forward, and Loki stumbled back. "Even if I had always known that we did not share it, after a lifetime spent with you by my side, how could you be anything but family to me? There is no higher word to describe how much I care for you…and you for me, much as you deny it."

It was a gamble to say, he knew, but judging by the way Loki flinched, Thor knew it had worked. He pressed his sudden advantage – this time, when he drew nearer, Loki didn't move away. He seemed almost mesmerized by Thor's words, staring at him with disbelief and hope and longing and hate and love in his red eyes.

"How we are born is a choice made for us, and I am so sorry this choice was made for you," Thor said, meaning it. He didn't hate Loki for what he truly was, but he could understand what a _shock_ it must have been, realizing that this lay just under his skin. Loki had grown up on the same stories Thor had, after all. "But who we take into our lives and keep there is a choice we make for ourselves. And as maddening as you are sometimes, brother, I would always choose to have you here with me."

He reached out. Loki flinched away, shaking his head. "_Don't_," he whispered, warning Thor off, and this time Thor knew he had good reason to. If he touched Loki as he was now, he knew it would burn, badly enough to need seeing to by the healers. But he didn't hesitate. He offered his trust…and, just before it was too late, just as he had resigned himself to the pain, that trust was returned. Loki shuddered, and shifted back, so that his skin was only cool to the touch by the time Thor grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug.

Predictably, Loki tensed immediately – with surprise, wariness, the first flashes of instinct building to push Thor away. Thor expected as much. His younger brother had never been much for physical contact or affection, which had always somewhat baffled Thor, because he also craved it. Perhaps he had only ever been too proud to seek it out, and after learning the truth about himself, too afraid of burning anyone who came near.

That pride, or that fear, kept Loki from properly returning the embrace. But after a second, he pressed his forehead against Thor's chest, and his hands came up and bunched in the fabric of the front of Thor's tunic, a silent plea to _stay_ that he couldn't put to words but didn't have to. His brother was shaking in his arms, with the force of emotions unleashed and repressed. Thor just held him, and tried to give him a point to steady himself by.

"I will not die for you, brother," he said quietly. "Instead, I will stand by your side, and defend you against these former masters of yours'. All I ask in return is that you stand with me as well, and trust me."

It was still a lot to ask from someone like Loki, he knew. But Thor did get an answer.

It just came in the form of a sudden tensing from the man in his arms, and then a hard shove.


	5. There Is Only the War

_To certain anonymous parties who keep leaving me reviews so long that the e-mail notifications get truncated for length - just letting you know, it's not going to get any better from here. __I don't know what you're looking for. You're not going to find it here. So if you keep reading from here, you have only yourself to blame._

_(Either way, please do look up the definition of "slavery". It's not "work this forge when you're up for it and we'd appreciate whatever you come up with but mostly we know you brood when you're bored." It's really, really not. Also, please do look up the definition of "mental conditioning". It's not "let me take you to a library where you can read whatever catches your attention". It's really, really not.)_

* * *

Surprised as he was, Thor was actually shoved. For a moment, he was confused, hurt.

Then something came whistling out of the sky and struck Loki, knocking him to the ground hard enough that he tumbled a bit down the roof. Thor reached out to try and stop the other's fall, and his fingers found the strands of what was unmistakably a net. "Loki!"

Sparks flew around his hand, as Loki kicked and struggled to free himself. Just for a moment, their eyes met.

"Did you truly think they would wait?" Loki asked, panic and fear and _despair_ already finding their way back into his voice.

Thor looked up to a sound he remembered all too well. The sound of alien hover-vehicles and guttural voices speaking a tongue even he couldn't understand. Sure enough, lit by that alien blue light, he saw Chitauri rising above the rooftop.

Thor felt his heart stop. "No," he whispered. "No, impossible! They were destroyed! We destroyed them all!"

"You think that would stop Thanos?!" Loki yelled. More sparks flew around him, and he swore. "The net. I can't get out."

So they had done something to the strands in the net to stop Loki from just magicking his way out. Predictable enough, for anyone meaning to try and catch the sorcerer. But the strands under his fingers still felt normal enough. A blade should do the trick nicely.

Thor didn't have a blade, but he knew where to find one.

The hovercycles closed in, and so he didn't have time to cut Loki free himself. He still managed to stay free of the fighting long enough to kick the newly forged spear over to his trapped brother. Loki, in turn, got just enough of his hand free to catch hold of it, and that was all Thor had time to see before he had to turn his attention to the Chitauri circling him, teeth and blades at the ready and all the speed of the wind on their side.

Individually, they were not strong, certainly not as powerful as Thor was. He struck with Mjolnir left and right as they circled and closed in around him, and thunder rumbled overhead as he gathered his true power. They struck with blades – some strikes glanced off his armor, some drew blood, but Thor was moving too much too quickly for any one strike to penetrate too deeply. They shot at him with lasers, but he was too close, and others were fighting with him, and their attacks were just as likely to miss or strike one of their own as they were the Asgardian.

Thor took some down with lightning, strikes from the sky that lit them up on their vehicles. Unfortunately, e couldn't strike too close, or too often – even he wasn't invulnerable to the heat and blazing light of a lightning strike, and he didn't know exactly where Loki was. The others, well, the others he took down with blows from his great hammer, knocking them out of the air and onto the roof where he could deal with them properly.

He held his own, but he was outnumbered. It seemed that there were more every time he thought to try and count – how were they getting here, where had they come from? And even Thor could not hold his own forever. And when he nearly tripped over the empty net, for a moment – just a moment – he wondered if he had been abandoned.

And then a Chitauri that he hadn't even realized was creeping up behind him let out a gurgling scream, and Thor turned to see Loki tearing his spear from its throat. As he watched, his younger brother whirled on the spot, letting off a bolt of magic that tore straight through another's eye.

In doing so, he opened up his back to a laser blast that sent him to his knees, but Thor was there to cover for him until Loki could find his feet again. The great warrior _smiled_, there in the heat of this seemingly hopeless battle, feeling new energy surging through his body. He had always felt that, with Loki at his back, he could face any foe.

They hadn't fought together in so long, but some old habits died hard. Thor and Loki were evenly matched when they fought one another, and a truly effective team when they fought together.

"The pathways," Loki cried to Thor, when they met for a moment in the melee. "They've found one. They're slipping through."

"Can you close it?"

"I need _time_." Time which the Chitauri were not giving them, a point driven home when Loki blocked an incoming blade on the handle of his spear, letting Thor swing around from the side with a blow that crushed the Chitauri's skull.

All the same, they couldn't continue like this. Thor remembered the battle of New York in a flash, the seemingly endless hordes that had fallen from the sky to ravage the city, a battle barely won and that had been with a team. Now, they were alone, and Thor had no idea how much more were coming, or how much more they could take.

"I will give you time," he said resolutely. "_Go!_"

Loki stared back at him for a moment, stricken and obviously scared for them both. Before Thor had to give him a shove, however, his brother nodded, and ran for the edge of the roof. He knelt there, as the battle raged at his back, and reached out with his own power, feeling for the tear in the world just a few feet below. He could, he knew, stitch these cracks shut if he had to. He had before, when they'd started to grow too big, too noticeable to anyone but him. He tried to do so now – it was easier to stay calm and focused than it should have been, stupidly, irrationally safe as he felt to have Thor protecting him.

He felt the Chitauri, surging below in whatever world they had come from. They weren't truly the things he'd commanded, not anymore. Someone, Thanos perhaps, had found a way to reanimate them. Well, why not? What had actually crossed the portal into New York hadn't been half of the army. Tony Stark had left a lot of bodies behind him, floating in the void.

All the same, Loki felt them, knew them, and then he felt something _else_ he knew, coming up to meet him, and panic nearly choked him. He should have run then and there, backed away at least, but he didn't. He stayed, working desperately to close off the Other's access and choke off any more reinforcements and give this mad, hopeless battle a way to end, and he almost made it before the Other rose up in front of him from the portal and grabbed him by the hair.

Loki's eyes flew open, and he readied himself to fight once more – it would be hopeless, he knew, but he would fight anyway. All the same, he only had a brief flash of seeing the Other's cold gaze before _pain_ lit him up like a star, blotting out the rest of the world and all conscious thought.

Over the sound of his own screaming, he heard the thing's voice, stabbing into his mind like a knife.

_"I warned you, little prince."_

Thor turned, looking around wildly at the sound of Loki's scream. He saw his brother there, where he'd left him to work, but now something else was there, grabbing him, _hurting_ him. Thor had just enough time to remember the hooded figure from the audience chamber before the Chitauri took advantage of his distraction to pile on him.

He fought back, then, screaming his fury to the roiling heavens above, fighting desperately as hard as he still could. But he'd given them an advantage, and they seized it. Blades fell on him from all sides, and it was all he could do not to get his throat slit. A laser blast seared across his leg, sending him to his knees, and Thor looked up to see a knife coming down quickly at his eyes.

Before the fatal blow could fall, the Chitauri sprouted an arrow from its throat, from a shot delivered with such force that it staggered back and missed completely before it died. The remaining Chitauri that had made it through the portal before Loki had closed it almost to nothing hesitated, some looking around. Thor let himself risk looking, too, and his heart soared. He saw that there were his friends, coming up over the rooftop from the palace below and _charging_ into the fray.

Two had not been enough to defeat this strikeforce. Five turned out to fare much better. It became six, again, when Fandral caught the Other a hard slash across its body, sending their hooded foe staggering back from Loki and freeing the younger prince from the psychic assault.

"Up you come!" Fandral cried, grabbing Loki's hand to heave him back to his feet. "There is still a battle to be won!"

Shaken as he was, for a moment, Loki could only stare up at Fandral in utter disbelief. And then Fandral slapped him on the back hard enough to send him staggering, dazed as he was. "Come on, Silvertongue! You don't look hurt." The warrior tried for a brave smile. "Put those tricks of yours' to some good use again, why don't you?"

He wasn't hurt. As awareness returned, Loki knew that. The attack had been all in his head, which had made it no less horrible.

But it would also make him no less able to keep fighting. And Loki had never felt more ready to fight.

He bared his teeth at the Other, shifted the grip on his spear in his hands, and moved in to _attack_.

He'd managed to shrink the rift down so that only one could come through at a time. Loki held off the Other, using the reach of his spear to keep out of the creature's grip this time, and Fandral remained to help him harry their foe. Hogun bottlenecked the portal, and the rest of the warriors dealt with the remaining Chitauri.

The six of them had been the terror of the Nine Worlds for centuries. It took a very short time, fighting and working together, to dispatch the invading ground troops, and then that only left more of them to converge on the Other. Thanos' servant was powerful, physically and magically. However, as Thor and Loki had discovered scant minutes before, there was only so much someone could do outnumbered that much.

_"No!"_ Loki snarled, as his tormentor retreated to the edge of the roof, and the portal that lay beneath. The monster would _not_ escape. And yet, as he ran to catch up, just as he reached the edge and saw the Other disappearing beneath, Loki suddenly found himself held back by several pairs of hands. Wildly, he fought against them, whoever they were. He would _not_ let the thing that had promised and given him so much pain just _run_.

And yet, even as he watched, the portal shimmered and closed shut after the Other's retreat. Loki realized that he probably wouldn't even have made it through even if he hadn't been held back, only fallen and broken himself on the ground far below instead.

Loki stopped fighting, panting for air, feeling exhaustion creeping over him now that the battle had ended and there was only silence here on this high roof. After a cautious pause, Thor, Sif, and Volstagg all released him. Loki obediently remained where he was, and caught himself swaying a bit without their support.

"We thought you meant to leave us all over again," said Volstagg, and Loki could tell that he was only half joking.

"This isn't the only place they got through," he heard Sif saying to Thor. "That's why it took us so long. The Queen has proven herself quite handy in closing these pathways, but there might still be fighting, down below."

"Then we will end it," said Thor without hesitation. Loki could have kicked him. And yet, the thought of the Chitauri invading Asgard _angered_ him as much as it so clearly did his older brother. He felt like he'd just strengthened his own spine with steel. Loki suddenly thought that he could keep fighting forever, if that was what it took to keep them _out_ of his home.

"We will," he said. "Follow me."

Sif and the Warriors Three were good and dedicated warriors, utterly loyal to Asgard. They'd seen him fight as well in its defense and, whatever grievances they might still hold against him, that was enough for now. Enough for them to follow him as he led them back into the palace in search of all the cracks and tears in the universe that he'd once exploited, so he could see them sealed up for good.

There was still fighting – scattered, but present, all throughout the palace and grounds. But without the Other to marshall them, the invaders were scattered and weak, barely held together by the magic that had animated them. Dawn was breaking by the time the palace was cautiously declared secure. Then, and only then, did the bleeding, battered, exhausted six retire to the healing chambers.

No reports of further trouble came as the sun climbed higher and morning drew on. Eventually, Sif and the Warriors Three seemed to decide that breakfast was in order. Thor would have joined them…but, Loki had been nodding off for a while, and had finally fallen into a doze a short time ago, slumped against the side of the couch. His younger brother had come out of the battle with fewer wounds than most, but the effort of expending so much magic to close the gaps had drained him, on top of his earlier outburst and the Other's attack and whatever he had done to escape.

Thor couldn't bear to wake him, but he also knew that he couldn't leave Loki to his own devices. The castle was in chaos after the events of the night.

It would be too easy for Loki to wake up and change his mind if he were alone, or make up some new lie to himself about how Thor's words on the roof had ultimately meant nothing. It would be too easy for him to decide to slip away, and to manage it if he did. Thor didn't intend to let that happen so easily while he had the choice, not after he thought he'd finally succeeded in reaching the heart of so many problems and maybe starting to patch them up.

His friends understood, even if he couldn't really find the words to explain beyond "I should not leave him." He could tell that they were still suspicious of Loki, and that was fine, because even Thor knew that one battle did not erase everything, and Loki and the warriors had had a conflicted, tense sort of relationship even before everything else had gone wrong. But they were happy for Thor, at least, and for the understanding the two had obviously reached even if they hadn't been there to see it. And even then, he caught Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg glancing down at Loki as they passed by him on their way out. He saw unmistakable hints of respect there in their gazes, grudging, but there, as they hadn't been for so long before. Loki had fought beside them once more, when he could have run. They were warriors at heart, and could respect that.

His friends said their farewells to him, and wished him well for however long it took for matters to clear up, and left. "I'll make sure they save you something," Sif added."You have a lot of strength to recover."

"You are the greatest among warriors, Sif," he called after her, only half kidding. The smile on his face lingered even after the doors had closed behind his friends. He looked down to where Loki was sleeping quietly beside him, and felt the pleasant warmth of unreserved affection in his chest. His brother had fought well and true last night, and for whatever it might be worth to him, to his parents, Thor was proud of him, and elated at the steps they had taken this night towards repairing whatever it was that had broken inside Loki.

Things were likely to get complicated and upsetting, soon, whenever Odin and Frigga found them here. But for now, Thor leaned back against the couch, and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the morning sunlight on his face and letting himself relax.


	6. Head Held High

He hadn't intended to sleep as well, but the next thing he knew was a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently, and his mother's voice: "Thor? Loki?" For one hazy, pleasant moment, Thor remembered nothing of what had happened. For one hazy, pleasant moment, this might have been the aftermath of any other quest.

Then he opened his eyes, looked and saw Loki sitting upright beside him, saw the bandages and wounds covering his own arms and chest, and remembered.

Loki, for his part, looked positively alarmed to be suddenly confronted by Odin and Frigga. He stared up at them for a moment, wide-eyed and speechless, and then hastily looked away. Thor could sympathize – Loki hadn't actually seen either of them since the trial and sentencing, two years past.

Frigga, however, was having none of that. There was blood on her dress and she seemed nearly as tired as her son, but all the same, she took Loki by the hand, pulled him up from the couch, and embraced him. Her youngest son made a soft, strangled sound of surprise…and then he hugged her back. _"Mother,"_ he whispered, shaken out of his pride just for the moment.

Thor smiled at the sight, before turning his attention to his father. As he did so, he saw that Odin had been regarding Loki as well, with soft hints of so many different emotions on his aged face. But then the king turned his remaining eye to his oldest son, and Thor wondered if he had really seen anything at all. "Allfather," Thor said politely. "Is there news?"

"None that you have not heard already," said Odin. "But I would speak with you both. Privately."

"I would offer the chance to save us all some time by talking in my cell," Loki said lightly, pulling away with some reluctance from Frigga and sitting down beside Thor again. "Isolated and private as it is. But I am afraid I've never had need of any chairs there, before today."

"That can wait," said Odin. "Because there is still the matter of your punishment for escape to be discussed."

Thor opened his mouth to protest, rising up from the couch…and was surprised to feel Loki's hand on his arm, pulling him back. "_Thor_," he said, warning in his tone, staring up at his older brother and shaking his head just a fraction of an inch. Thor stared back at him, aghast, stared at his father…and then he sighed, shoulders slumping. He did still rise, but only to follow his parents from the healing chambers, and he offered Loki a hand up from the couch as well. Loki took it, and then fell into step beside Thor, staring at the floor, that same worryingly thoughtful expression on his face as there had been at the edge of the roof.

"I am sorry, Loki," Thor finally said, keeping his voice as low as he could to keep the words between himself and the man beside him. Loki glanced up at him, surprised and curious…and, after a moment, the sorcerer smiled wryly.

"I'm sure you are," he said, just as softly. "For what?"

"For this. For all of this. For letting this happen, for causing it. If I had not brought you to Earth, they would not have found you. If I had not lost my temper with you, perhaps you would not have felt the need to escape."

"…I have too much practice at causing you to lose your temper for that to have gone any other way. And yes, they would have found me. It might have taken three hundred years. But they would always have found me." Loki shook his head. "I knew the price for escape. I knew I was only allowed one chance at mercy. I decided to pay it anyway."

Thor started to protest this decision, but quieted when Loki held up a hand. The younger man's jaw set, and he lifted his eyes to stare at Odin's back a few feet ahead. Thor saw a fire in those familiar green eyes. "You said you would not die for me. You will not _sacrifice_ yourself for me, either. I have so little left that is mine. At least leave me my decisions. And if I am to have the chance to speak for myself, I will not go quietly. You know that. I think he might as well. I will not fight. But I will _speak._"

Thor didn't like it. He nodded anyway. After a pause, he reached out and rested a hand on Loki's shoulder, squeezing lightly in a silent gesture of support. Some of the whipcord tension left Loki in response, and after a moment he smiled once more. There was an unmistakable edge of nervousness to the expression, but he still seemed determined all the same.

"Cheer up," he said, casting Thor a sidelong glance. "He probably won't kill me."

It shouldn't have been funny, but it had been a long night for both of them. All the same, they both managed to regain a straight face by the time Odin opened the door to his chambers and they all entered.

The king sat in the chair by his desk, and his queen stood at his right hand. This left Thor and Loki standing before them both, and at a glance from Loki, Thor took a slight step back, offering the other man the field without withdrawing his support.

Odin and Loki locked gazes, and then father and adopted son started in on one another without any further hesitation.

"You were warned what would happen if you escaped."

"And I have not escaped."

"You made the attempt. And it is only because of Thor that it remained an attempt."

"Only because he tried to _explain_. Would you have had me sit and wait quietly to die, then?"

"You were in no danger. I meant to see to it."

"You had no idea what you were facing! They got into the castle, and that is so very little of his power!"

"Information you never volunteered."

"Information you never asked for! How was I to know that you would even hear me if I volunteered it?! I did not even know if I would be believed!"

"Belief is predicated on _trust_, Loki. And you have once again proven yourself unworthy of mine."

"Are two obedient years to be undone by a few hours of _fear_?"

"A moment's mistake can cause the fall of the greatest kingdom."

"And I am not the only one who has erred!"

Thor felt his heart leap into his throat. He stared at Loki in mingled terror and awe, but Loki didn't seem to see him. Right now, he and Odin were the only people in one another's worlds.

"How can I have violated trust you never gave?! You thought that I would go racing back to Thanos as soon as he was near!"

"No. I thought that you would _flee_. And you did. The purpose of your escape was never important. Only that you tried to run before your time was done. Why should I extend that same mercy again, Loki?"

Thor held his breath, scarcely daring to hope. But the fact that Odin was asking meant that there _was _hope. He just prayed that Loki would see it. It seemed like he had forgotten how to speak, in the face of the verbal war going on between the younger prince and his king.

Loki did not waver. "Because I came back. Because I listened to Thor, when he actually tried to give me answers. Because I fought beside them even though I am no more than a laborer now. Because if a moment's mistake is inexcusable even when I try and correct it, then why are you even bothering to teach me at all? Because _this is my home_, and I will not let them take it from me."

Silenced reigned, so thick and heavy that Thor felt his ears ring with the echoes of Loki's words. He stared at Odin, scarcely daring to breathe, and saw that Frigga was doing the same. Loki stayed where he was, breathing heavily as though he'd fought for hours on end all over again. And Odin was quiet, staring back at his adopted son.

And then, finally…he bowed his head, breaking their locked gazes. For a moment, just a moment, Thor thought he saw his father smile.

"Loki Odinson. For your efforts this night, I forgive you your breach of trust. I remove ten years from your sentence for crimes against Jotunheim and Midgard. You will resume the remainder of your punishment until such time as Asgard is in danger once more, at which time you will be permitted to take up arms in defense of yourself, and your home."

And just like that, the spell was broken. The duel was over. It took Thor a second to even believe what he had just heard…and then he did, and he felt a smile light up his face. Loki, judging by the look on his face, still couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Thor tried to drive home the point by pulling his brother to him in a hug once again, and he couldn't hold back the happy laughter bubbling up in his chest.

"Well done," he whispered to Loki. This, it seemed, was enough to shake Loki out of his shock. He returned the embrace, just for a moment, and even if he didn't laugh Thor was close enough to see him smile.

"We may soon have need of all the smiths at our disposal," Odin said, otherwise unperturbed by the affectionate display.

After a long, sunny, perfect moment, Thor released Loki, and almost laughed all over again as his younger brother began almost reflexively smoothing himself into back into place after the enthusiasm of Thor's affection. Thor made to turn and leave, happy beyond words at the successes of the past night and this morning, when Loki spoke once more, looking back at Odin and Frigga. This time, his voice was quiet.

"There is one other matter."

His back was to his parents, and so Thor allowed himself a wince. Loki might as well have just singlehandedly slain a dragon. Was he really not content with that?

"I will hear it," said Odin. Something in his father's voice told Thor that he knew what was coming, and something in Frigga's face told him the same. Thor didn't, even as he looked again between the three for any sign.

"I demanded answers of you, once," Loki said, his voice calm and steady, now. "Answers about…myself." Thor fancied for a moment that he felt the air grow just a little colder, but Loki did not change, and after a second the feeling passed. "And what brought me here, to Asgard, to this family. Circumstances…intervened. I would have those answers now, before circumstances intervene once more"

Odin hesitated. Frigga laid a steadying hand on her husband's shoulder. Odin looked up at his wife, and a lot seemed to pass between them, in that unspoken form of communication that came only with millennia.

"I told you the truth about why I took you from Jotunheim," said Odin, looking back at Loki.

"You told me _a _truth. But for the designs you once had for me, there must have been many more. I have many more questions yet. Will you answer them now?"

There was a long, long pause…and then Odin nodded. Frigga did as well, and she smiled at her son.

"Sit, Loki," he said. It was an offer, not an order, and yet Loki sat there on the floor. Odin looked to his older son. "Thor, leave us for now."

"No," said Loki, before Thor had even turned away. "Stay." That had been an order, and after a beat, Loki relented. "…if you wish to, brother."

If he hadn't wanted to before, that one word decided him. Thor sat beside Loki, and settled down to listen, and maybe learn. Loki relaxed, ever so slightly. And then he began to ask the questions that had weighed on his mind for years. Odin answered, calm and forthright, as did Frigga.

Tired, bandaged, and knowing that their troubles were far from over, Thor was nevertheless content. Whatever was to come in the future, he would face it, along with his people and his friends and his family. Loki was still healing, still learning, and not beyond hope or help. He was maybe even starting to believe that of himself.

Briefly overcome, having to express this happiness somehow but not wanting to interrupt, Thor just reached out and took Loki's hand for a moment as Odin was speaking. Loki started slightly in surprise…but then he curled his fingers around Thor's hand in a silent promise that he would stay. And they both smiled just a little, as the world came into focus around them.

* * *

_Basically, I thought Odin and Loki were overdue a long, emotional, "I love you but you drive me nuts" argument. It was something that probably should have happened during "Thor", and Loki probably would have been better for it. But, circumstances intervened. Better late than never, though. _

_Anyway, this particular fic ends here! Thank you all for reading, and thank you for your wonderful comments and reviews! I hope you enjoyed reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I hope you will enjoy any future stories I manage to come out with, too.  
_


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